You all are so lucky. I am amazed at how many plants you have. My little 4 seem like nothing now.
Lavina
List of what I have
No I just spend to much money on them. I do not have but a couple of expenses, so I can spend a set amount each month and as the cuttings are not much and shipping is low they are a good buy. Plus I get in on a couple of good sells on my favorite web site. I know how to use tools so throwing to getter a simple green/shade house will be easy and cheap. Good old pvc pipes.
You all are such a bunch of enablers! I was pretty much in blissful ignorance until you started giving me links to websites. Now I have to figure out how the heck to shoehorn any more pots into this place.
If it helps I can find more websites-how a bout shelving, pots etc.LOL
Sandy now you stop that!!!!! HeeHee
And what is this about building two shade houses now --- hmmm?
Well I just do not know when to stop. I wont more and more-say some more dragon fruit-more christmas cactus-Easter cactus- and of course lots more epis. LOL
Linda, Since I currently don't have any, I'm just starting my collection. I had a beautiful white one with fushcia edging years ago that I got at the grocery store. It was very unusual. I guess unusual appeals to me.
I think your idea about a coop is great.
Sarah
Linda,
Thanks for the link for Whitton Greenhouses. I hadn' t seen them before. They had some very beautiful plants.
One problem with them, and other vendors that I was able to find, is that they stop shipping at the end of October because of concerns about the temperature. I really don't want to wait until warmer weather for a CHRISTMAS cactus that's supposed to bloom in the winter! :) Guess I'll have to shop the grocery, big box stores and local nurseries this season and place an order next spring.
You might try Hi Hirt's greenhouse they have different sizes of the different colors.
I will call and check with Bob Smoley's later.
I have started on my green/shade house. Double the size of the old temp one.(Which means double the plants!!!!!) Any one want a dog? He was so much help. I have almost get the top half done-thats right I am building from the top down!! I make the post to parts, 5 ft and 2 feet with a T joint for the end piece. Once I get the the fence wire across the top(Later will replace with fiberglas panels) and the plastic sheets and the shade cloth, I will put the 5 ft pieces in and raise the form up. I am not gluing the pieces together so I can make changes later. Thankfully it is overcast to day so the epi can set out in the open.
Looks like something has been munching on my seedlings. Be glad when I get every thing where I can see each plant clearly. Well need to rest.
Sandy the epi nut
Sarah, I have some pieces I can share. I don't know the variety names, but I do know the colors. Dmail if you are interested. They still won't bloom this season though.
LavinaMae, Don't worry about your small collection, we can certainly help you grow it.
I have never actually tried to do a co-op, so I don't really know how, but if anyone would like to volunteer, I would be more than willing to help.
Sandy, you are a brave girl. building a shade house on your own........ I would take your dog, but I have 2 I can't keep out of the aviary or greenhouse now.......
Tetleytuna, There are worse things we could do than enable......... I used to tell my hubby that he wasn't allowed to bring home anything else, well I think he's about to tell me the same thing.LOL
epis' are like pokemon,...... gotta have 'em all.
Sandy the epis nut..................watch her she will enable you big time. :)
Sandy the epi nut is a nut. Well it is put together. I see things that need to be changed. If a hurricane comes it will not withstand the wind but hopefully by next summer I can get a real green house. It is 8 X 10 and 7 feet high. I wish I had made it a foot shorter. But as it is not glued together that can be fixed later. I still need to get the plastic for winter and more shade cloth. But at least the plants will no longer be crowded.
Once I get every thing back in I have seen at least one plant that needs to be trimmed back. It has a four foot stem.
Sandy the pooped epi nut
Lets see I now have three times the space. Think, Think----that means more room for plants----I thing I will start looking!!!!!!
Wow sandy you are a fast worker lol.
I have another one to add to my have list for trading later lol.
Conways Giant (it was a freebie thrown in with another one-whoohoo!)
I totally forgot about easter/christmas cactus. How did you tell the difference between easter and christmas cactus?
I have a red one that is a few yrs old. I always thought it was Christmas cactus.
This message was edited Nov 6, 2008 11:15 AM
The shape of the flowers are different. Christmas cactus are Schlumbergera and Easter Cactus are Rhipsalidopsis I hope I spelled them right. I was out checking every thing and saw that most of my Christmas cactus have buds. Also my plants had grown a lot after I put them in the other temp shade house. I have one that has a 4 foot stem/leave.
I have already decided on some needed changes.(which will all so add 3 feet to the length!!!!!!) I guess my money will go on better benches this month and the changes. I will get help to take the shade house apart, as I will not move all those plants again!!!!!. I did not glue it together just in case there was changes. And all we have to do is pick it up and move it, them move it back.
It will be a little over 13 feet long and 8 feet wide and 7 feet high that should take care of my needs for about------------a couple of months!!!!!
Sandy the epi nut
Sandy,
I'm jealous that you can have a shade house and grow plants outdoors all year. I'm trying to set up grow lights so I can bring everything indoors for the winter. But I'm planning a shade structure for next summer where I can put all my epi's and orchids. I'll have to pick your brain and take advantage of what you learned by building your own shade house.
And, if you're sharing cuttings of any of your schlumbergera or easter cactus (I give up typing all the long names!), I'd love to give them a good home! ;)
Sarah
I only just get cutting on the easter cactus. But you are welcome to cuttings of the Christmas cactus. Remind me after the first of the year and I well seen you some of each color. Some of the labels are missing so I do not know what color some of them are. I have about 20 of those.
My design is very simple. I used 2 inch pvc pipes, 4 c-joins and 4 T joins. The end post where cut into two pieces 3 ad 5 ft and I used the T joins for the side piece. The and the top I used the C-joint to put on the top bar. I plan to cut the roof pipe in half and add 2 more T-joins each side with one pipe going across and one pipe a down as a leg. I put fence wire across the roof to hold up the cover Not totally happy with it but still working on roof Ideas. Well have fiberglass added to it later. The sides will be covered with plastic and shade cloth.
Sandy the epi nut
Wow, You do work fast. I will begin to add the varieties of christmas and easter cacti I now have to my list as soon as I can get caught up. Hopefully in the next couple of days.
I received some in a trade that were several different colors, but they haven't rooted yet.
Sarah, if you are interested, I have some white christmas cactus cuttings.
Linda
Thought I had a Christmas Cactus but its blooming now. Its pink.
Maybe its just a want-a=be.
Lavina
I paid for it today. Get up in horrible shape this morning. It did not help that I was out side last night around 10 putting all the plants in the new shade house. It rained!!!! It is so nice to be able to move around the plants and be able to see each plant. I am planning a small 5X5 shade house for my dragon fruit plants, but that can wait.
I found at least one broken piece-have not found the plant it belongs to yet and a couple of broken pieces of a seedling.
All but 2 of my Christmas cactus are putting on buds. I just last month moved them to the shadier side of the carport. I have red-orange, red, fushius (?), Pink, white, orange, yellow, salmon and have started cuttings that where sent to me of a old fashion christmas cactus-leaves are more rounded.
Sandy the epi nut
It could be a Thanksgiving cactus........... Grandma used to call them that. Most of the christmas cacti they sell this time of year are. They sell more of those because the "real" christmas cactus bloom later in december and january.
Either way, you are lucky. Enjoy. Linda
Christmas cactus bloom by shorting daylight. The ones in stores are condition to bloom around Christmas. One of my white ones bloomed a second time this last spring.
Sandy the epi ut
Cross posted
My white CC is full of buds. it is going to be beautiful.
great. I think the white is the prettish of all the colors.
ibartoo,
I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful. I thought I'd better respond since you have now offered two times to share cuttings! :) Yes, I'd love to have some. I'll send you a dmail.
Sarah
How can I get in on some of these beautiful christmas cactus cutting?
I had some once but can't for the life of me remember what became of them.
I will have some cuttings after mine finish blooming. If you can wait I can give you some of all the colors I have.
I was wrong on the number of plants I have- I do not have 200-I only have 196.
I guess I have to buy at least 4 more!!!LOL
Have any of y'all every had something eat on any of your plants? I have a year old seedling that has been badly damaged.
Sandy the epi nut
Mine tend to get ants in the summer when I put them outdoors, and I do believe they nibble on them. They also sometimes get a disease that is carried by the ants (can't remember what its called) if I'm not careful. I had a few plants I have had to cut to pieces and try to save...due to ants.
I think what ever is eating on my plants is a lot bigger that a ant. There is 1/4 to 1/2inch shallow scallops taken out of the small stems. I am wondering if it might have been a mouse.
Oh need to add the eaten stems are only on the seedlings. The plants started from cuttings have not been attacked.
Sandy the epi nut
I just went and checked my red one and it is full of buds too. When did this happen? LOL A few weeks ago I repotted it, and I guess I have been ignoring it and didn't notice...Cool !
I've got to keep the cats out of the screen room now. Since I put all the epis in there, they want to be like Wren's squirrels and knock all the pots off ! Funny they've never bothered the other plants.
Your seedling are nice and tender , maybe a caterpillar-some of them around here will eat anything LOL!
Could be but I see no caterpillars around them. I will try to take a picture when the sun comes out.
I the "bites" are up and down the stems and some are older than others. I moved the seedlings up higher. It's bad enough that I have to wait 7 years for them to bloom but to have them set back by some creature, darn, darn, double darn.
Sandy the epi nut
Sandy, I have found that snails and slugs will eat my epi leaves if they can get to them. Maybe they found your seedlings.
Diatomaceous earth ?
I wonder if it was the evil tree rats? One time after it rained I saw them jumping from brug pot to brug pot biting at the stems, maybe they were licking water off them cuz I didn't see any actual teeth marks when I went out there. I wouldn't put it past them though , these squirrels are brats! Slugs and snails are probably a good guess too!
I plan of getting the Diatomaceous earth next week when I get paid.
Here is a picture on one of the seedlings As you can see it looks like bites where taken out of it.
This was only done on the 6 month old seedlings the yearlings seedlings have not been touched.
Here is a picture of a few of my plants and the squirrel chaser who barked at me until I took his picture.
Sandy the epi nut.
